I have arrived safely in Dubai! I am currently in Emirates Airport Hotel for the long 14 hour layover. Emirates provides a voucher for the hotel and meals for layovers that are longer than 7 hours. It is so much better than staying in the airport which I have definitely done before! I will leave the hotel at 6:30 am to head back to the airport for my 9:15 am flight.
After eating dinner, I was in the elevator with a Ugandan family. This elevator was so small that it barely was big enough for all five of us. Three of them were small children! But the youngest girl looked up at me with a huge grin. I looked at her sweet face and I said, “You have such a pretty smile!” Beaming back she said, “Well, thank you! You have a pretty smile too!” It made my heart melt and just prepare me even more to see all the faces of my kids at Raining Hope tomorrow!
My flight from LAX to Dubai was about 16 hours. I was able to watch about 5 movies and sleep in between. But one of the movies that I watched was “The Walk” about Philippe Petit’s walk on a wire suspended between the World Trader Center Towers in 1974. In the beginning of the movie, he says that if it’s your dream, you need to do it no matter what others say. He said, “It’s impossible but I’ll do it, showing the world that anything is possible.” Spoiler alert...I am going to quote something from the movie that really impacted me. When Philippe was training at a circus with his trainer played by Ben Kingsley, he made it all the way across the high wire but only needed to take about three more steps. He hesitated and the wire began bouncing up and down. He lost his footing & ended up hanging from the wire inching his way to the rope ladder to climb down. Ben Kingsley said this, “Most wire walkers die when they arrive. They think they’ve arrived but they are still on the wire. If you have three steps to do and you do them arrogantly, and think you are invincible, you are going to die.”
Philippe got sloppy at the end only needing three steps. He lost his concentration and the wire began to bounce throwing him right off. He lost confidence and began to doubt which caused him to fall.
As I look back on my last 20 trips which cover almost nine years, I can relate to these words. I have been told what I am doing is impossible. I have felt at times like I was being thrown off the “wire” hanging on for dear life! Then last year, the miraculous happened with the “Ugandan Dream.” God provided a permanent home for the children. We raised $125,000 within a 6 month period! But that was just the beginning. After dedicating the house only 5 months ago, now I am able to return to our house and see the completed renovations of the Boy’s Quarters! I am very aware that it is not time to take continued steps for granted. It continues to humble me that I am able to be a part of such an amazing group of children and the work of our awesome God. This movie was a great reminder that we serve a God who with HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. We take no credit for any of what is happening at Raining Hope. Desiring to be explained by the miraculous means that the only one who get credit is our God.
I am anticipating with great expectation and focus that God is going to do something amazing on this journey. Each step I take is intentional towards the goal of glorifying God. Thank you all for your support and your prayers as you join me on this 21st journey.
I will speak focused on the “War Room” materials as well as “Battle Plan for Prayer” all influenced by the recent released movie, “War Room.” I bought a set of “Battle Plan Prayer Cards” that I will be using the next 40 days. I encourage you to get a copy at Family Christian Stores or Lifeway Stores (about $5 each set). I am going to include a few of the prayers as I write updates. If you could join me on Day 1 as I begin this 21st journey...
Day 1 - “Father, I come to You today in Jesus’ name, asking You to draw me into a closer, more personal relationship with You. Clean me of my sins and prepare my heart to pray in a way that pleases You. Use all the circumstances of my life to make me more like Jesus, and teach me to pray according to Your will and Your Word.”
Day 2 - “ Father, thank You for the great legacy of prayer that has come before us. I ask You to pour out Your Holy Spirit on me and Your church. May prayer become as natural to me as breathing, and may You work through my prayers to help bring about Your kingdom and Your will in my heart, my home, and my generation.”
As I prepare for the conference and the outreach ministry, I would appreciate your prayers that I stay focused and continue to step with confidence & trust. Pray for the children and for Pastor Godfrey as they lead this week.
I love these verses in Philippians 3:12-14:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
We are pressing on...staying focused with confidence and trust in our God nothing is impossible with Him!
Until I arrive in Uganda...
mama eydie kisakye
“They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8 (NLT)
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